The Puzzle–Chimera African Violet

African Violets are interesting.   Most  can be reproduced by setting a leaf in medium, waiting about three months….Voila..a baby just like Mama plant.

African Violet ? Well, no, but it is a chimera

 NOPE!

Not so with a chimera violet.

 Put down a chimera’s  leaf, patiently watch it grow, you will have a blooming baby with a solid colored flower.

Where  is that pretty striped blossom you wanted?

 Chimera African violets are reproduced in two ways:

• Using a sucker from the mother plant
• Cutting a bloom stalk, then carefully nurturing the part of the stem with the two tiny leaves below the bud

Not until  the new plants flowers,  are you sure that baby is just like it’s Mama.

That first bloom is an exciting event!

 What a joy to see stripes as the petals unfold!

Reproducing chimera is a slow process;  proven variety starter plants are relatively expensive.

I  am not willing to shell out double digit dollars for little plants that may not survive under my growing conditions.

Growing a chimera was just a dream.

Until……………….

Surfing the net one day, I came across a grower advertising unproven chimera starter plants for a  price  that did not intimidate me.

Why, even his blooming proved starters were in my range.

I gave him a test order, to include one proven variety.

Received beautiful plants.   They all bloomed true to variety!    I was one happy violeteer!

The heat of this summer pretty much squelched all my violets; cool weather came; my plants responded.

Now,  this striped beauty is proudly displayed;  the first blooming chimera in my collection.

Meet ‘Summer Song’!

Why are chimera different?

It’s one of those things that I kind’a understand, but not enough to explain .

Google “what is a chimera” if want to spend some fascinating time at the computer.